Another camoflaged german helmet

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 06-23-2014, 06:59 PM

This is my latest camouflaged helmet. Again it is another good piece which was probably field painted before the orders issued in 1918 for the painting of helmets. For those of you who saw my other helmet and considered it to be a fake, I did as I said I would and took it to the Liverpool arms fair for opinions off well-established dealers. Andy Taylor - a well respected dealer and collector of WW1 militaria for many years only confirmed what I already knew. Apart from an honest attempt by someone to preserve the inside - the outer camouflage finish was totally original. I'm still trying to find the pristine paint that one forum member mentioned, and also all the pitting on the outside which was also spotted. Even Andy couldn't find anything like that on it! ...

There is NO obvious pitting to the outside of this helmet, and yes, I am aware about the r/h rivet does not having matching camo colour to the patch of ochre used - although when viewed under a magnifying glass there are traces of ochre and the original helmet colour. I have some doubts about the liner, but viewed from the underside it does appear to be a good one.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 06-23-2014 06:59 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**centigas** · 06-23-2014, 07:07 PM

Hello Harry,

Thats a pattern Ive never seen before, Artillery maybe? painted the same as thier gun? Dunno just guessing. The liner does look fresh is it on a leather band?

**canti44** · 06-23-2014, 07:26 PM

Hello Harry,

really like the design and and the colour scheme on this one. Reminds me of some of the cubist/modernist looking designs of the dazzle ship patterns. Nice hunch too about it being painted in artillery paint centigas, or whatever paint they had to hand.

Incidentally there's a ship at the Albert Dock in Liverpool painted in dazzle to commemorate the start of the Ww1 at the moment if you're interested?

Liverpool Biennial: Dazzle ship | Tate

**big ned** · 06-23-2014, 07:41 PM

Clarice Cliff's personal private yacht.....???

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 06-23-2014, 08:57 PM

by centigas

Hello Harry,

Thats a pattern Ive never seen before, Artillery maybe? painted the same as thier gun? Dunno just guessing. The liner does look fresh is it on a leather band?

Hi, whereabouts in darkest Cumbria are you? I have friends in Bouth. But back to the helmet. When I first viewed the liner I was a bit sceptical of it, but when I viewed the opposite side of the leather and the pads I was much happier. The leather was very dry and I have treated it with a light coat of Pecard leather dressing. The band is leather, and the stitching of the pads to the band appears to be unmolested - so this should rule out replacement pads as is often the case when metal bands are used. I believe that it is common to use the pads from Swiss army helmets to do this. The inside of the helmet is probably a repaint - but period done. it certainly has been that way for a bloody long time anyway!

The mention of the paintwork possibly being Artillery is a good one, although I once owned an Mg08 on a trench mount which was painted in a very similar pattern to this. As for the ship in Liverpool dock - it reminds me of the South African flag!

Cheers,
Steve.

**centigas** · 06-23-2014, 09:17 PM

Hello Steve,

I live up in a village between Ennerdale and Whitehaven. Im originally from Kent hence the "centigas" thing.

Love these cammoflauged first war helmets, good to see one with an intact liner. Good one. Do you have much luck finding stuff at arms fairs?

Cheers, Rich

**Gunny Hartmann** · 06-23-2014, 09:19 PM

I like it mate!....

**davejb** · 06-23-2014, 09:29 PM

Steve,i like it, everything appears to be correct, paint thickness, wear and tear, liner etc, personally i would have used Sheratons Leather Balsam on the liner, it tends not to leave a shine or change colour, i have used this for numerous old liners, it helps to re-hydrate the leather and protects it from hardening, the paint colour is similar to a helmet a friend has, only his is faded all over

**SteveR** · 06-23-2014, 10:37 PM

Paint looks good from what I can see.

**HARRY THE MOLE** · 06-23-2014, 11:25 PM

Hi Rich,

Yes, I do normally drop lucky at arms fairs. But the only one I attend these days is the one at Liverpool. I went to the one on Sunday with the intention of buying a nice Butcher bayonet to go with th Gew98 I recently purchased. My wife had advised me that my collection of WW1 Belgian medals purchased over the last few months was getting out of hand, and she suggested that there was no more room on my office (spare bedroom) wall to hang anything else. After 40 years of marriage to her I was only too aware that it was a polite request for me to get rid of the medals. I had got most of them on the cheap anyway, so I was sure that I could turn them into a profit. And that is exactly what I did. I swapped them for the camoflaged helmet on this thread.

Back to the bayonet. I went around the fair several times and could only find two relic bayonets. And then on the last time around I spotted one on the stall of Liverpool Militaria - run by Bill Tagg, the well-known authority on Japanese swords. Tucked away almost out of sight, I spotted an absolute cracker. Its been re-finished - but to a very high digree, and probably done for the Army of the Weimar republic. There are no nicks in the blade or anything. I also picked up a German trench map for the princely sum of £15. I will try and post both items tomorrow. And Dave, the wear to the paintwork on this helmet is no different than the other. I know you have your doubts about the other, but when you hold it and REALLY look at it close, you just know it is dead right!

Cheers,
Steve.